24^th September 2025

1. Nuclear Fusion Power to India: Recently, researchers at the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar unveiled an ambitious roadmap to bring nuclear fusion power to India.

• Key Highlights: India plans to build its first fusion electricity generator: Steady-state Superconducting Tokamak-Bharat (SST-Bharat).

• Will be a fusion-fission hybrid reactor.
• Power output: 130 MW (100 MW from fission, 30 MW from fusion).
• Efficiency target: output-to-input ratio of 5.
• Estimated cost: ₹25,000 crore.
• Goal: a full-scale demonstration reactor by 2060 with a Q value of 20 and 250 MW output.

• Fusion vs fission: Fusion produces less radioactive waste than fission.

• Controlled fusion requires extreme conditions like inside stars.

• Methods of fusion: Inertial confinement: uses lasers/X-rays.

• Magnetic confinement (India’s focus): uses powerful magnetic fields in tokamaks.

• India’s present machine: SST-1 tokamak at IPR: Produced plasma for 650 ms.

• Designed to hold plasma up to 16 minutes. It is a research machine, not for power generation.

2. Nationally Determined Contributions: Recently, India announced it will present its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

• Key Highlights: Updated NDCs (NDC 3.0) likely to include higher energy efficiency improvement targets.

• India’s 2022 NDCs (for 2030): Reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 45% compared to 2005.
  - Source 50% of electric power capacity from non-fossil fuels.
  - Create a carbon sink of at least 2 billion tonnes.
• Progress so far: By 2019, India reduced emissions intensity of GDP by 33% from 2005 levels.
  - By June 2025, 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources
• NDC 3.0 (targets for 2035): Expected to show degree of emission reductions by 2035.
• Only 30 out of ~190 countries have submitted so far; many submit just before climate talks.
• Global context: Even full compliance with current NDCs may still result in 3°C warming by 2100, missing Paris goals.
   - EU: yet to set 2035 target; proposed 90% cut by 2040 (vs 1990). Possible 66–72.5% cut by 2035.
   - Australia: aims for 62–70% cut by 2035 (vs 2005).
   - USA: exited the Paris Agreement.
   - China: uncertain if it will announce ambitious NDCs before COP30.

3. Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on Forests: Recently, a study published in Science revealed that nearly 80% of tropical forests have become fragmented over the past two decades due to anthropogenic activities.

• Key findings: Globally, 51–67% of forests have become fragmented.

• Causes of fragmentation: Shifting agriculture: 61% in tropics, 37% globally.
   - Forestry: 34% globally; main driver in temperate (81%) and boreal forests (38%).
   - Wildfires: 14% globally; 62% driver in boreal forests.
   - Commodity-driven deforestation & urbanisation: less than 15% globally.
   - Mining, energy development, selective logging also contributors.
• Effects of fragmentation: Shrinking and splitting of forest patches.
   - Loss of core habitats, threatening species that need intact forests.
   - Disruption of connectivity → reduced wildlife movement, long-term population declines.
   - Edge habitats expanded (2000–2010), exposing forests to disturbances.
   - Forests becoming warmer, drier due to microclimate changes.
• Regional observations: Tropics: overwhelmingly driven by shifting agriculture (61%).
   - Temperate: mostly forestry (81%).
   - Boreal: mainly wildfires (62%) and forestry (38%).

4. Impatiens Selvasinghii: Recently, researchers identified a new species of flowering plant, Impatiens selvasinghii, in the Kudremukh range of the Western Ghats, Karnataka, at an altitude of 1,630 metres.

• About Impatiens Selvasinghii: Belongs to the balsam family and is notable for being one of the smallest-flowered balsams from the Western Ghats.

• Characterised by its tiny flower size and distinctive, prominently-lobed wing petals.
• Plays an ecological role as small insects depend on it.
• In India, the genus Impatiens has over 280 taxa, mainly found in the Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats.
• More than 210 taxa are endemic to India and around 130 species are endemic to the Western Ghats.
• Nearly 80% of these taxa in the Western Ghats are endangered.

5. Tropical Forests Forever Facility: Recently, Brazil became the first country to announce an investment in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).

• About TFFF: A global permanent multilateral fund designed to support long-term tropical forest conservation.

• A Brazil-led initiative, first proposed at COP28 (UAE, 2023).
• Goal: Mobilise US$125 billion from public and private sources through a blended finance structure.
• Investments will be directed into a diversified portfolio that yields returns higher than its cost of capital.
• The returns will be used to pay tropical forest countries (TFCs) a fixed amount per hectare of preserved forest.
• Fund Management: Operated through a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), such as the World Bank.

6. Varkala Cliff: Recently, Varkala Cliff in Kerala was added to UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list.

• About Varkala Cliff: Only place in Kerala where cliffs meet the Arabian Sea.

• Formations from the Mio-Pliocene age with laterite and sandstone layers.
• Fossils and sedimentary bands reveal millions of years of earth’s climate history.
• Extremely fragile, laterite easily crumbles under human or natural pressure.
• Spiritual and cultural significance: Janardana Swamy temple (2000+ years old) at southern end, site of Karkidaka Vavu rituals.
   - Sivagiri Mutt, founded by Sree Narayana Guru, adds cultural depth.
   - Fisherfolk see the cliff as a protective landmark.
• Environmental threats: Monsoon-triggered landslides and cracks already visible.
   - Sea-level rise, stronger monsoons, surges worsening erosion.
   - 2018 and 2019 floods destabilised cliff layers.

7. AI-enabled Nature Experience Centre: Recently, Betla National Park in Jharkhand was chosen to host India’s first AI-enabled nature experience centre.

• Key Highlights: Set up inside the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) at Betla National Park.

• A high-tech nature interpretation and experience hub that uses AI, AR/VR, holograms, and immersive sound to recreate the feel of real jungle life.
• Developed by PTR authorities, under the leadership of Deputy Director Prajesh Kant Jena.
• Key Features: AI Assistants for guided learning and interaction.
  - 3D holographic projections showing lifelike animal movements.
  - Augmented reality & immersive soundscapes (e.g., waterfalls, bird calls, predator-prey chases).
  - Ecosystem simulations: food-sharing, herd movement, hunting behaviour.

• About Betla National Park: Located in Latehar district, Jharkhand (around 170 km from Ranchi).

• The only National Park in Jharkhand.
• Known for elephant rides, jeep safaris, waterfalls, and tribal eco-tourism.
• Declared a National Park in 1986.
• One of the first nine tiger reserves launched under Project Tiger (1973).

8. Barren Island: Recently, India’s only active volcano, Barren Island, erupted twice within eight days.

• About Barren Island: Situated in the Andaman Sea, about 138 km northeast of Port Blair.

• Part of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Union Territory of India).
• An uninhabited island with rugged volcanic cones, ash deposits, and limited vegetation.
• The only confirmed active volcanic site in South Asia.
• Origin & Geological Background: Lies in a volcanic belt created at the convergent boundary of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates.
   - Oldest lava flows: ~1.6 million years old.
   - Formed on oceanic crust dating back ~106 million years.
• Physical Features: Size: Around 3 sq. km.
   - Elevation: Rises 354 m above sea level.
   - Structure: A 2-km-wide caldera formed by the collapse of an earlier cone.

9. Niti Aayog: Recently, NITI Aayog released its flagship report, “Pathways to Progress: Analysis and Insights into India’s Innovation Story”, offering a comprehensive account of India’s achievements, challenges, and opportunities in science, technology, and innovation.

• Key Findings: The report captures India’s progress in building a robust innovation ecosystem and outlines strategies to strengthen the country’s position as a global innovation hub.

• The document provides: A holistic overview of India’s innovation ecosystem at national and state levels.
  - Analysis of industry and grassroots innovations, startups, and collaborations between universities, industry, and government
  - India’s performance in global innovation rankings
  -  Systemic challenges and a forward-looking roadmap to scale deep technology innovation, enhance knowledge creation, and integrate with global ecosystems

10. Phytosaur: Recently, ancient fossilised remains uncovered in Megha village, Jaisalmer, raised speculation that they could belong to a Phytosaur from the Late Triassic–Jurassic period.

• About Phytosaurs: Extinct, large semi-aquatic reptiles resembling modern crocodiles.

• Belong to the order Phytosauria.
• Flourished during the Late Triassic and possibly into the Early Jurassic.
• Characterised by elongated snouts, heavy body armour, and varied feeding adaptations.
• Fossil Details: The specimen is about 6–7 feet long, with parts of the spine structure visible.
   - Likely from the Jurassic age.
• Morphological Diversity: Long-snouted forms → specialised in fish-eating.
  - Short-snouted forms → adapted for hunting land animals.
  - High-snouted forms → generalist feeders.
• Geographical Distribution: Phytosaur fossils reported from India, Europe, North America, Brazil, Morocco, Thailand, and Madagascar.
  - Earlier finds in Rajasthan include dinosaur remains at Akal and Thaiyat, along with shark and marine fossils.